[ This article culled from the RIME BBS Network Gay Issues Conference ]
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Southern Voice
May 20, 1993
copied with permission from Southern Voice
JEWISH GAYS AND LESBIANS BANNED FROM PARADE
MARKING 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF ISREAL
New York City-Lesbian and gay Jews held their own celebration of
Israel's 45th birthday here after sponsors of the Salute to Isreal
parade banned them from marching two days before the parade.
Late last month, American Zionist Youth Foundation, the parade
sponsor, and Congregation Beth Simchat Torah had reached a compromise
that would have allowed the congregation to march with another group,
but AZYF chair Rabbi Joseph Sternstein announced on May 7 that the group
was banned because an article in last Wednesday's New York Times "had
incendiary statements attributed to synagogue members having to do with
the attitudes of the Orthodox Jews." Sternstein said part of the
agreement with the synagogue was that its members would issue statements
only through the foundations.
Congregation Beth Simchat Torah Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum disputed
Sternstein's version of the agreement. "We didn't agree to a one-sided
gag order," she said.
Instead, Kleinbaum told the Times, her congregation was being excluded
because "many people in the Orthodox community didn't want us there."
The participation of gay marchers in the May 9 parade had angered
Orthodox Jews, who organized a parade of their own, but rejoined the
AZYF parade when Sternstein announced that he was banning the gay
synagogue.
Although Congregation Beth Simchat Torah was banned from marching, gay
supporters were visible on Fifth Avenue during the parade, and on at
least one occasion, were attacked for their support.
One unidentified man carrying a sign reading "Jewish Gay Proud of
Israel" was attacked by a spectator who ripped up the sign. The
attacker escaped into the crowd, and the man continued with the remnant
of his sign. The sign bearer was later stopped and taken into custody
by police.
"Elements of the Jewish community want us to remain hidden," Kleinbaum
said at the rally the Congregation held a few blocks from the parade.
"Neither anti-Semitism nor anti-gay attitudes will render invisible our
support for the State of Isreal."
Although the controversy was reminiscent of the three-year battle
between Irish gays and lesbians and the Ancient Order of Hibernians over
participation in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Congregation Beth Simchat
Torah elected not to call for a boycott of the parade marking Israel's
45th birthday.
"We want the focus to be on Israel," said Kleinbaum.
Locally, gay and lesbian Jews said they were disheartened by the turn
of events in New York.
"It's another smokescreen billowing from the Orthodox movement--an
excuse not to include gay and lesbian Jews in the world Jewish
community," said Paul Glickstein, president of Atlanta's predominantly
gay and lesbian synagogue, Congregation Bet Haverim. "It saddens me
that the Orthodox movement doesn't realize that in an assimilationist
society congregations like Beth Simchat Torah held us retain Jews in the
fold They strengthen world Jewry."
"But at some point they'll have to deal with it," he added.
K.C. Wildmoon